Jamie’s baked fish

I am currently elbow deep in a pot of pho broth which I will share with you all very soon. But before I do I wanted to draw your attention to Jamie Oliver’s delicioius baked fish recipe that I was making a lot of before I left Melbourne. I love it! And am despertate to squeeze it in here before tomatoes and basil are completely out of season for all you southern people. Strange as it may seem, April is the time Territorians plant their Solanaceaes. Its the time when the air changes texture. The moisture relents. The blessed dry is around the corner.

So here it is. Jamie Olivers incredible baked fish. Perfect for summer evening dinner parties. Lick your plate good. In his recipe Jamie suggests using Sole, but I used Trout. Any whole flat fish will work.

On another note, I also started baking just the vegies and herbs, prepared as he suggests below but without the fish. This made for a delicious pasta sauce.

Method

“This is really simple. First of all give your fish a wash, then with a sharp knife score across each fish down to the bone at 2.5cm/1 inch intervals on both sides. This allows flavour to penetrate the fish and lets the fish’s juices come out.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Get yourself a bowl and add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano or basil, spring onions, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and the zest and juice of 1 lemon to it. Loosen with a couple of good tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and mix well, then spread over the bottom of a large roasting tray. Use one that will fit all 4 fish quite snugly (or you can use two smaller trays). Place the fish on top – top to tail.

Now add the olives, parsley, juice and zest of the second lemon to the bowl that the tomatoes were in. Loosen with a little olive oil and then divide this mixture between the fish, placing an equal amount on the centre of each. Cook in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. To check whether they’re done, take the tip of a knife and push it into the thickest part of the fish. When done, the flesh will easily pull away from the bone.

Once cooked, remove the fish from the oven and allow them to rest for 3 or 4 minutes while you get your guests round the table, serve them some wine and dress your salad. Then you can come back to the fish. Divide them up at the table on to 4 plates, making sure that everyone gets some tomatoes and juice spooned over the top of the fish. ”